Hardik Pandya is usually known for his swashbuckling batting style where he likes to go after the bowlers from the word go. Often described as the modern-day T20 cricketer, the 27-year-old Mumbai cricketer showed a different avatar of his on Wednesday when he showed responsibility and played a 76-ball 92 knock against Australia during third ODI in Canberra.
The innings came after India were in trouble at one stage at 152/5 with 18 overs left in the innigns. Pandya then stitched a 150-run stand with Jadeja to take the Men in Blue past 300 and have that psychological advantage.
Interestingly, the knock comes on a day when Pandya's fiance Natasa Stankovic took to Instagram to announce that couple's son Agastya has turned four months old.
The cricketer, who had to leave for the UAE for IPL 2020 after his son's birth, earlier said he really misses his son as he had to leave for the UAE with Mumbai Indians when his newborn son was just 15 days old.
"Feeling thoda different hai. Automatically hojate hai sir kyuki jab baccha hota hai toh automatically thode aur kaam hote hai. (The feeling is a bit different. It happens automatically because when you have a baby, your work increases)," he said. "You start thinking about life in a different way. I think my perspective towards my family has changed. As a person, I have changed and I think the change has come for better."
He further said: "Miss kar raha hoon and abhi jaana ka wait. 15 din ka tha jab usko chod ke aaya tha aur abhi chaar mahine ka hojayega jab wapas jaunga toh. A lot of things have changed but all for our good."
